WE NEED YOUR HELP!

On March 2, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that New York has rolled out the nation’s first COVID vaccine passport program with the introduction of the “Excelsior Pass.” While advertised as a “voluntary” measure, New York State officials are making it clear that not participating in the program will result in an individual being essentially shut out from society. The New York State vaccine passport app was built by multinational technology company, IBM. It remains unclear how IBM is securing New York residents’ sensitive health information.

Conversely, states like Florida and Texas have introduced legislation that bans vaccine passports on the basis that they violate medical privacy and lead to discrimination based on health status. Please use the templates provided to contact your representatives and urge them to propose similar legislation that would protect New Yorkers. We encourage you to edit the subject line and personalize your message to increase the chances that your email will be read.